I Am More Than A Rider A&E
by Arget.Adurna
Summary: EragonxArya. A oneshot. Eragon talks to Arya about her stand offish nature towards him while he explains that there is more to him than the dragon rider she see's him as. REALLY bad summary but please R&R.


**Hey Guys: D! This is my first ever fanfic so please give me some feedback because I want to improve my writing...**

**I have finished reading all 3 books and I love them...They are very, very, VERY well written and I can't wait for the 4****th**** and last book...**

**Disclaimer: I wish I may...I wish I might...own Christopher Paolini's inheritance cycle...on this night.**

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A celebration that has rounded together all of Alagaësia was heard from far across the land. Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, Urgles, even some soldiers of the empire were there. Their bond to the tyrant king broken because...

Galbatorix has been defeated...

The war is over...

And Alagaësia is at peace...

Maybe with the exception of one rider and his dragon...

'_I don't understand Saphira.' _The rider said to his dragon.

'_Of course you don't little one.' _The dragon laughed and let her amusement pass through to her companions mind.

'_Saphira, this is no time to Joust' _He said as he stood up and paced back and forth.

The dragon bowed her head softly. _'I apologize Eragon. I did not wish to use your feelings as my amusement'_

Eragon stopped pacing and looked at his dragon. He sighed and hugged her around her neck. _'There is no need to apologize Saphira. I should not get angry over something as stupid as this'_

Saphira hummed deep within her throat as a sign of disagreement. _'I do not believe this is insignificant little one, for my feelings are yours as are yours are mine. I know what you feel for her and, for once, Arya Svit-kona was wrong' _Eragon chuckled slightly as Saphira accused an elf of great wisdom being wrong. _'What you feel for her is no small matter'_

Eragon sighed and released Saphira, stepped back and looked up into her sapphire eyes. _'I too believe this feeling is more than she thinks. But that doesn't matter; she will not share the same feelings towards me.' _He bowed his head sadly and found a blade of grass fun to look at.

Saphira was just about to say something when someone bet her to it.

"Eragon?"

He snapped his head up and around, recognizing the familiar voice.

"Arya" He met her emerald gaze as he started to raise two fingers too his lips. But Arya waved her hand.

"Please Eragon; there is no need for formalities on this night"

Eragon dropped his hand, put it behind his back and held his other hand. He inclined his head a little respectfully.

Arya laced her fingers together in front of her body and gave Eragon a questionable look. "Why are you not inside celebrating like all of Alagaësia are?" She asked shifting her gaze between him and Saphira. "You are responsible for these festivities" She pointed out to both of them.

Eragon bowed his head again and replied. "Forgive us Arya, but I needed to speak with Saphira alone."

"I apologize, I shall let you be" She said as she turned around but stopped as she heard a purring voice in her head.

'_It is okay Arya, I was just leaving' _Saphira said projecting her thoughts to Eragon as well.

'_Where are you going?' _He asked

'_I want to fly'_

'_Alone?'_

'_Yes'_

Eragon sighed and said _'Alright, but be careful'_

'_I will'_ She turned her head to Arya and said _'He is all yours'_ With that said she leapt into the air and flew off with her big, powerful wings.

Eragon look up at her retreating form horrified as he realized what Saphira had done. _'Stupid dragon'_

A growl emitted in his head. _'I heard that little one.' _In a nicer tone she carried on. _'Talk to her Eragon, she is there, waiting'_

He looked back down to find Arya's gaze fixed on him and with a start he quickly looked away.

There was a long silence where Eragon tried his best to keep his eyes averted from hers, because he feared that if his eyes rested on any part of her, he wouldn't be able to come out of the blissful sight.

"I..." Her voice started softly and quietly, breaking the silence ever so gracefully. But it made Eragon look at her. He mentally cursed himself for that.

"I meant to thank you for saving me" She said nervously. "So...Eka elrun ono" Arya inclined her head to show her appreciation.

Eragon, feeling embarrassed, rubbed the back of his neck and replied. "You are welcome Arya Shadeslayer. Frichai onr eka eddyr." He said carelessly as he shrugged. "Besides, if your mother found out you died in my presence then we would be having this conversation in the void."

The smallest smile graced her lips upon hearing him. She looked up at him with the corners of her mouth turned upwards ever so slightly.

It made him feel good whenever he was able to wrestle a smile-if as small as this one- out of her. So good that he grinned back at her.

She was the first to look away and as quickly as it came her smile vanished, taking Eragon's with it.

He looked at her confused. "Do you not trust me?"

The bluntness of the question startled Arya as much as it surprised himself.

"What?"

Now that he started he may as well carry on. He took a deep breath and took the plunge...

"Do you not trust me?" He asked again.

"What has leaded you into believing that I do not trust you?" She asked confused. "You have saved me in the face of danger more than I can count. You have, not only kept your oaths to me, but to your cousin, to the Varden, even to that child Elva." She listed in her placate voice. "You have been trusted enough in all the different races to be considered as, or changed into one of their own"

She paused to study him, and then carried on in a soft voice. "I have no reason not to trust you Shadeslayer and Shur'tugel of Bjartskula"

Eragon did not find this warming, in fact, the only warming he felt was his blood boiling as his anger swelled inside of him. "But you do not trust me enough to open up to me." He stated through gritted teeth.

The elf princess-with years of practice- held her facial features unemotional but Eragon could see the bewilderment in the depths of her eyes. "I do not understand" She said in a placate manner.

Eragon felt his anger rising. "Since the day I met you Arya, you have been hostile, closed off and harsh towards me!" He said raising his voice.

"It is I who do not understand for I have been trying to figure you out, and it is infuriating when I am being polite and courteous towards you and you respond kindly, but when I say one simple thing wrong you immediately put your walls up to keep me out like you do with your mind to keep others out!" He exhaled heavily as the plunge had taken him to the point of no return.

"For my effort..." He took a deep breath to try and keep his anger under control. He spoke more softly this time. "For my effort to show you respect and loyalty I get sadness and despair and..." He sighed and looked to the dancing grass by his feet as he trailed off, not letting himself confess to her again.

Arya hadn't moved. She was so captivated by what he was saying that her body had frozen.

She swallowed to moisten her dry throat. "What?" She whispered curiously, her musical voice hitting a flat note.

He cringed as he heard her question. What the heck right? The plunge had already taken him to the bottom, why not hit those sharp rocks and get it over with?

"...And a great feeling of heart break" He confessed. His eyes were still on his feet. He didn't hear any movement from her so he looked up only to meet her eyes.

But what he saw confused him. Arya showed no sign that she heard him.

Eragon's anger got the best of him as he growled. "Are you going to stand in front of me and pretend that you did not hear what I said?"

"For your benefit, I will" She replied unphased.

"How will your ignorance to my confession benefit me?"

"Because we are different and it can never work. If I pretend we did not have this talk then we can still be friends."

Eragon scoffed. "You're still holding onto that excuse?"

"It is no excuse, it is the truth. I am an Elvin princess and you a rider, my age- -"

Arya was cut off by Eragon's anger exploding.

"BUT I AM ERAGON TOO!!"

The elf princess finally broke her mask and showed her surprise at the sudden outburst. "I know you are Eragon, but- -" She started to raise her voice, giving into her frustration but was cut off by Eragon's angered tone again.

"I do not think you understand Arya. Yes I am a dragon rider; yes I am beyond happy and joyous that we have finally given Galbatorix what has been well over due..." His voice slowly died in volume until it came back down to his normal talking voice. He looked down at his feet again as he continued to talk.

"...But inside of Eragon the Shadeslayer is Eragon the farmer or Eragon the Carvahall boy."

Arya looked at him stunned. This was definitely the side of Eragon she wanted to stay away from.

"I am not only the dragon rider that wants peace and happiness throughout the land of Alagaësia that you, the Varden and many other people see me as...I am also Eragon, the one Roran, Horst and all of Carvahall see me as: a simple farm boy."

He finally looked up to find her looking at him with sad and confused and guilt ridden eyes. "I am a boy from Carvahall, whose fate chanced upon a blue stone with a sapphire coloured dragon encased inside." A small smile started to dance upon his lips as he reminisced.

"I am a farm boy who has travelled to the other side of the world to fight shades, soldiers, a half brother and a tyrant king." He said incredulously.

"But first and foremost, I am Eragon, half human, half elf, in love and waiting to be loved in return." He looked deep into Arya's forest eyes and tried to look as sincere as he sounded.

Arya was frozen to her spot. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't think-anything coherent anyway...The Elvin Princess has been harbouring feelings for Eragon for a little while now but, she didn't want to give any signs until after the war and when she has a better understanding of the extent of her feelings. So she stuck to her 'I'm an Elvin Princess, you're a rider' excuse until the time.

'_Well that time has come.' _She thought as she gazed into his eyes.

'_It is after the war, I have realized how far my feelings have come and how far they can go' _She frowned thoughtfully as her next thought echoed through her mind.

'_So what is holding me back?'_

Looking like she wasn't going to speak, Eragon slowly took a step closer. "I ask you this Arya..." His voice gentle with every slow, soft step he'd take. "...Why are you not open with me?" He stopped a good three meters in front of her to keep a safe distance.

Arya felt her walls drop as she let a soft sigh escape her lips. Her shoulders sagged, her head drooped a little and apart from the time she found out that Oromis and Gladear died, or whenever she would talk about Faolin, Eragon had never seen her so vulnerable.

He didn't like to see her like this.

He was so use to seeing a strong and stable warrior elf, not a fragile and helpless Princess. It unnerved him greatly.

For this reason, he wanted to ask her for her forgiveness and to pretend that none of this ever left his loose lips but, something about her posture stopped him. Something that he knew if he asked for forgiveness he would regret it. So he bit his tongue and stood tall.

"I-I'm scared" She stuttered.

Eragon tried his hardest not to look shocked but it didn't work as Arya noticed it straight away.

He would, on a very rare occasion, see her looking a little shaken but she would never in her hundred years admit it...and yet, here she is as open as the scrolls on his desk admitting that she is frightened, of what? He does not know yet but he knows that she would never be this open to him ever again.

She sighed and looked at him distressed. "Eragon, this is difficult for me to speak in this way. I ask you to not look at me in such a surprised manner." She spoke quickly.

Eragon closed his mouth and composed himself quickly. "I apologize, please continue"

She sighed again and spoke very softly. "I am scared because I have given my heart away once and that ended with it breaking into pieces with every step I take without him..." Her musical voice cracked under the pressure of a lump forming in her throat, but she fought back the tears as she didn't want to seem any more helpless than she looked.

"...I am only just now recovered from such a painful wound Eragon and I do not know if I can give it away again as it is in such an early age..." She confessed but carried on with pained confusion etched into her clean features. "...With the knowledge that you are still in danger, for there are Galbatorix legions lingering around every corner waiting to drive their cold steel through your chest, I cannot even bare to think about it"

Eragon couldn't help but to smile at her. She really did care for him.

He bravely closed the distance between them and pulled Arya in for a hug. She stiffened under his touch and tried to resist it, but Eragon's strong hold made sure that nothing will come between them.

She gave up as she relaxed into him and hesitantly lifted her arms under his arms, which were around her upper arms and lay her palms on his shoulder blades. Eragon pulled back a little and placed his lips by her ear but made sure to keep a hold on her.

He started to whisper to Arya so softly that no human ear could make out what he was saying but it was no problem for an elf ear. "Arya Svit-kona, not only are you closed off towards me but you are also ignorant to what happens around you." He let his amusement coat his voice

She tried to push away to look at him but Eragon kept a tight hold on her. "You need not worry about my death for I have been taken with you since I saw you in my dreams. I had this sense of protection over you while crossing the Hadarac Desert as you were suffering from Durza's poison. You have told me in more ways than one to not pursue you...and yet, here I stand proclaiming my love for you."

He pulled back and held her at arm's length. He looked deep into her eyes as a crooked smile danced upon his lips. "There is nothing and no one in the land of Alagaësia that can take this feeling from me...Not even you, Arya Dröttningu" He finished softly.

She looked back into his eye and felt a sudden rush of happiness course through her. She smiled her traditional, small smile and spoke with joy in her voice.

"I am pleased to hear that..." She said as she started to lean in. "...I had hoped that you would not be discouraged by my rebuffs"

He smiled at her and met her half way for a quick, sweet kiss. Eragon smiled against her lips which prompted Arya to smile as well...An untraditionally big, beautiful smile.

They leaned their foreheads together as Eragon mentioned: "That is the first real smile I have ever seen grace your lips."

"That is because I have not felt this happy with anyone after he died." She replied with her musical voice like a melody.

They smiled at each other again as they leaned in but with a big gust that ripped through the trees and surrounding forest; they pulled back and looked up at the sky. Blue scales shimmered in the moon light as the muscles underneath the scales moved strongly to ensure a safe landing on the grass below. The dragon managed to do so and looked at the couple in front of her.

'_Have I missed something little one?' _She asked Eragon but projected her thoughts to both him and Arya.

Eragon smiled knowing that she already knew of the events that had just happened. So he slipped his hand in Arya's and beamed up at his dragon. "Nothing that you didn't already know Saphira"

The rest of the night passed in a blissful blur as both Eragon and Arya were inseparable as they ate, laughed, talked and danced the night away. This night was to go down in history as the death of the tyrant king and the dawn of the new era of the dragon riders. Eragon was looking forward to whatever the future threw at him for he knew that with his kindred spirit by his side he was always reminded of his duties as a Dragon rider, but with his beloved on his other side he is able to hold onto some preservation of his former identity with the human like love the one elf feels for him.

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**Alright well this is the end...I kind of think that I could do better but meh the worst critic is yourself...soooo this is where you come in!!!!XD**

**Just click the big review button and please tell me what you think.**

**Thanks for reading...**


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